Local News

The Bedford County Planning Commission, Monday night, unanimously approved a request by the Big Otter Mill Foundation that clears the way for the foundation to begin work to open the mill to the public.

The mill is located on a 1.7 acre tract on Va. 122 in an agricultural area, 1.3 miles north of Liberty High School. It was completed in 1920 and is on the Virginia Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. It has also been identified on a Bedford County listing of its historic places. It operated until 1950 and has been abandoned ever since.

An attempt at a traffic stop last Thursday in Bedford County led to a seven-mile chase ending with the car being pursued flipped over and the driver and passenger injured, according to the Virginia State Police.

Trooper M.D. Mayhew said he had attempted to stop the vehicle on Route 43 north near Northside Building Supply for several traffic violations when the chase ensued. He had been patrolling in that area at the time.

Bedford Police Department investigators are looking into the death of a 9-month-old infant on Sept. 4.

The department received a call on Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. to respond to Bedford Memorial Hospital in reference to the infant. The infant was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and died two days later.

According to Bedford Police Chief Jim Day the infant's body has been sent to the medical examiner's office in Roanoke for a determination of the cause and manner of death. The case remains under investigation.

The owner of Scott's Strawberry Farm was injured Thursday afternoon when a tractor he was using rolled over on him at his farm off Joppa Mill Road in Moneta.

Sixty-three-year-old J.D. Scott was airlifted by MedFlight III to Lynchburg General Hospital from the scene in serious condition. As many as 50 emergency personnel from multiple agencies joined in the rescue effort, that took about an hour and a half to free him out from under the tractor.

After 10 years with the Bedford County School System, School Superintendent Dr. James Blevins has announced plans to step down at the end of the school year.

"The Bedford County School Board would like to thank Dr. Blevins for his over 10 yeras of service to the students of Bedford County and we wish him well in his retirement after 38 years in education," School Board Chairman Gary Hostutler said."

A man in his 60s was injured Thursday afternoon when a tractor he was using rolled over on him at Scott's Strawberry Farm in Moneta. The man was airlifted by MedFlight 3 to Lynchburg General Hospital. As many as 50 emergency personnel from multiple agencies joined in the rescue effort, that took about an hour and a half to free the man out from under the tractor. The man was conscious while he was being extricated. He had been pinned by the tractor's steering wheel. Some other workers on the farm heard him yelling for help.

A man in his 60s was injured Thursday afternoon when a tractor he was using rolled over on him at Scott's Strawberry Farm in Moneta. The man was airlifted by MedFlight 3 to Lynchburg General Hospital. As many as 50 emergency personnel from multiple agencies joined in the rescue effort, that took about an hour and a half to free the man out from under the tractor. The man was conscious while he was being extricated. He had been pinned by the tractor's steering wheel. Some other workers on the farm heard him yelling for help.